He's Watching Over
by CamsthiSky
Summary: "Even after two years, this rubber-headed idiot still held the pain from a loss of someone dear, and yet he kept himself strong, head held up high. Zoro couldn't help but be reminded of why he followed this man." Luffy isn't as alone as he believes. One-shot. Set after time-skip.


**Okay sooo...yeah. Hi. I know I'm a horrible person and I definitely shouldn't have been spending time writing this, but I just had to. I was watching a Disney movie and then, yeah, this came out. Sorry if there's any errors. Please don't be afraid to review and tell me exactly what's wrong because I literally took less than an hour to write this.**

**Well, Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

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"Hey, Zoro?" Luffy called out, sounding rather uncertain.

It was just days after they had left Fishman Island, and Zoro was still adjusting back into what was the Strawhat crew. Everyone was different, yet so much the same. The changes, while not necessarily bad, were a little disorienting. Especially when it came to Luffy.

Sure the boy was just as brash and idiotic as ever, but he seemed to have developed some sort of observation skill. He was just a tiny bit quieter and didn't seem to yell as much. He was more thoughtful when the times called for it, and the line between playfulness and seriousness was so fine, even Zoro was having trouble pinpointing exactly what could set the captain off into one of those thoughtful moods of his, even if they didn't happen often.

This was one of those times. Just moments before, Luffy had been playing something or other with Chopper and Brook while Zoro dozed peacefully against the railing. For once, the weather was nice—though who knew how long that would last.

Stopping randomly, Luffy had been quiet for a moment, looking painfully at the setting sun, and causing the entire ship to hold its breath. No one knew how long these moods could last seeing as this was new to the recently reunited crew. The first one had been a mere thirty seconds, but the next one had lasted an hour. A whole hour, where Luffy just sat atop the figurehead and stared at the horizon.

Zoro would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried when he awoke to utter silence. And at the call of his name, he was completely caught off guard. Never once had Luffy talked to someone when he entered this new and strange mood of his.

Cracking open an eyelid, Zoro decided to go along for this new ride. Maybe by complying with the captain's whims, he would be once more able to understand Luffy with simple eye contact—an ability that was long gone after their separation. Two years was a long time, after all. Not everything stayed the same after that long.

"What is it?" Zoro asked, going for an exasperated tone, despite being rather curious. Hell if he was going to let Luffy know that, though.

Luffy hummed, swaying a bit before bouncing over to the railing next to the swordsman. The captain didn't speak for a moment, just letting the fragile silence hang over the two.

"Do you ever wonder if someone could see what you're doing?" Luffy asked suddenly, breaking the stillness that had fallen over the deck. Zoro raised an eyebrow, not really understanding what Luffy was getting at.

"Well, sure," Zoro tried, not really sure what they were actually talking about. But that was Luffy for you; the epitome of confusion. "Someone's always bound to be watching you."

"Even when you're alone?" Luffy questioned. For some reason, Luffy was avoiding eye contact, like he was preparing for Zoro's answer. The boy refused to glance in his direction and instead stared at the vast waters the Thousand Sunny was slicing through.

"When you're...oh." Zoro understood and now that he did, he wasn't all that happy with the question. Now that he knew the meaning, what was he to tell the younger boy? He scratched his head and tried again. "Well, I'm not saying anything about ghosts or whatever, but maybe those that have...left us behind—they could be watching over us."

"Like from heaven?"

Zoro suppressed a sigh. He didn't believe in heaven, so how was he supposed to answer a question like that? He settled with, "Possibly; if you believe there's really a heaven to watch from."

It was quiet again as Luffy finally turned to Zoro. Eyes met and that connection from so long ago sparked. After several long moments, Luffy broke the contact and moved his gaze back to the ocean. Zoro didn't bother to turn away from his captain, awe creeping up inside of him and taking hold the longer he looked at that head that was still held so high.

Zoro knew exactly what Luffy was so damn preoccupied with. And the swordsman had never met a man so strong. This boy had the will of a true seeker of the One Piece. He was one who sought freedom from a cruel world, but wasn't put down by the world's darkness in the slightest. Even after two years, this rubber-headed idiot still held the pain from a loss of someone dear, and yet he kept himself strong, head held up high. Zoro couldn't help but be reminded of why he followed this man.

"_I don't know if I do, but I want to believe Ace is still out there, watching over me."_

After another second, Zoro snorted softly and closed his good eye, a small smile creeping up on his face. He even gave a light chuckle so that Luffy knew that his swordsman had understood loud and clear.

"Believe whatever the hell you want to, Luffy," Zoro told him, a slight encouraging tone touching his voice. "You're the captain, right?"

That's when Luffy tipped back over the line, his trademark grin adorning his face as he spun back around, putting his back to that thought provoking ocean. He let out a joyous laugh and threw his arms into the air.

"Right!" Luffy yelled enthusiastically. "I'm gonna be KING OF THE PIRATES!"

And then he ran off, probably to find Chopper and Brook again so that they could finish whatever kind of game they had started before. Zoro shook his head before closing his eye, starting to doze off again. Secretly, he was glad. Now, just a look, and Zoro would know exactly what his captain wanted to say. And with just a look, Luffy would know exactly what his swordsman's answer was.

"_Good luck, Captain. You are going to become the Pirate King someday, and your brother will be watching over you every step of the way."_

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**Okay, so I said at the beginning that I wasn't supposed to be working on this? Right, well, I'm actually writing a One Piece story for One Piece Big Bang. It's exciting and my first attempt at writing a multi-chapter one Piece fic, so it's going to be fun. And, once it's published on tumblr or livejournal or wherever, I'll be posting it here, too. I think it ends about April.**

**Also, I'm looking for a beta for OPBB, so if you're interested, PM me about it!**

**Thanks! I hope you enjoyed!**


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